Cold calling? Retraining Interpreters in the Art of Telephone Interpreting

The telephone is an instrument of culture(s) based on sound and as such is foreign to Deaf communities. Interpreted telephone interaction, in which all three participants are not physically present and cannot see each other, is conducted through the medium of sound, a medium that is culturally comfortable for the participants who can hear, which usually includes the interpreter.1 This chapter describes training activities that challenge assumptions and practices that have developed around interpreted telephone interaction. It questions whether a fresh approach to this type of interpreting might be more politically liberating for Deaf people and more comfortable for all participants involved. Although not specifically designed for video-interpreted interaction, these thoughts and exercises are applicable to any instance in which the three participants, Deaf and hearing persons and an interpreter, do not share simultaneous visual contact.